Friday, 6 April 2012

CHOCOLATE MADE EASY– some tips and tricks to help you with the recipes from our hot chocolate feature

Would the world revolve without chocolate?

Well certainly not here at the food dept....

Chocolate
is a divine product made from the seeds of a mexican tree, called the
Theobroma Caco. The fruit contains seeds which are fermented dried and
roasted and processed into cocoa liquor. It is then further processed
and mixed in various forms with fat and sugar to produce chocolate.

Varieties of chocolateWhite ChocolateA purest might say, it is not chocolate at all. White chocolate has virtually no cocoa at all but is a blend of fat, sugar, milk solids and vanilla. White chocolate tends to be the trickiest to melt, but some say the yummiest to eat.

Milk ChocolatePaler in colour, milk chocolate is a sweet chocolate with a lower cocoa content, and a higher amount of milk solids and sugar. It is mostly enjoyed as confectionary, but can be used in baking, especially in the form of chocolate chips.

Dark Chocolate is commonly found in 3 types:Semi Sweet Dark ChocolateHas a higher content of cocoa compared with milk chocolate, anywhere between 35-62%. Semi sweet contains a smaller amount of milk solids and is the chocolate that is mostly sold for baking in supermarkets.

Bittersweet ChocolateContains between 60-85% cocoa and therefore less sugar, giving it that bitter but sweet taste. It is mostly used for cooking but if you’re a dark chocolate fan you might not be able to resist it. The good thing about it is that it satisfies some people’s chocolate cravings in smaller quantities.

Unsweetened ChocolateContains about 99% cocoa. But don’t be fooled, the high percentage suggests
there is virtually no sugar, so it is not really suitable for eating, it
is better used for cooking.

Storing

As
chocolate has a high fat content it should be stored in a cool dark
place. Don’t be tempted to put it in the refrigerator, as it will
sweat when brought to room temperature. Keep it in an airtight container
so that it doesn’t take on flavours of anything that it is stored near.
If chocolate gets that grey powdery look to it, it has become too hot
during storage and the cocoa and fat content have started to separate.

How to melt chocolateChocolate
melts beautifully in the microwave. The trick is to melt it in shorts
bursts of 30 seconds at 50% power. Allow it to rest for 30 seconds
between each cooking and give it a little stir each time until the
chocolate has melted. Be patient and wait between each cooking as
residual heat will continue to melt it. If chocolate is over heated it
will seize and become dry and grainy. This can also happen if water is
introduced to the melting chocolate, be careful to always use clean dry
utensils. If you would rather not use the microwave, place the chocolate
in a clean and dry heat proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Give it an occasional stir until melted and then remove the bowl from
the saucepan. Make sure that the bowl does not touch the water and that
the water is not boiling. Again over heating or water splashed in will
cause the chocolate to seize.

The most important thing to remember with Chocolate is to enjoy!

Here's a quick little recipe for truffles .... just in time for Easter

2 comments:

Yummy yummy yummy! Once apon a time we went to a Mother - Daughter breakfast at my school and there was a blind woman called Jodie there! And you know what? She made truffles with no assistance! AND SHE WAS BLIND!!! Anyway, after the Brekky we went and she gave us a truffle and... THEY WERE AMAZING! I have been looking for a truffle recipie ever since...P.S If you are wondering why I spelt recipie wrong and why am I so imature... I am a kid learning to touch type...P.P.S I actually don't know how to spell recipie